The group stood there, the guards shaking and holding their guns, ready to open the back of the ship and team RWBY and ORNJ ready to get out. Jaune walked over to one of the guards and stood in front of him.
"What happens after you leave the ship?" he demanded. The guard swallowed and nodded.
"N-nothing should really happen," he stuttered, "The ship should be unoccupied until Mr. Schnee decides to leave again."
Jaune nodded slowly, contemplating the plan in his mind again. He wanted to be certain that he wasn't missing a single part of the plan. As a team leader, he knew first hand how tragic missing a part of the plan could be. Turning around to the others, he cleared his throat, gaining their immediate attention.
"Alright, guys," he said, "The guards are gonna leave this ship, leaving us in. Then, a little after they all leave, we'll all get out and make our way to some sort of form of transportation to get us where Maria is. We'll check in with her and the Relic, and then Oscar can take it from there."
Oscar nodded slowly, scratching his head. "Okay."
The others nodded. Nora grinned and grabbed Ren's arm, pulling down on it slightly.
"Finally!" she cheered, again, too loud for Jaune, "We get to take some real action!"
Blake rolled her eyes just as Jaune began hissing at Nora to be quiet.
"As if we haven't faced enough need for action or combat already," she mumbled, crossing her arms, "I even lost my coat because of it."
"Well..," Yang said, walking over and throwing an arm around Blake with optimism, "Adam lost his life, and probably some important organs or something, so I think it's a fair trade!"
Blake groaned and pushed Yang away. Yang stepped back, a little confused, but then she understood. Walking over to Ruby, she whispered in her ear,
"I think she's still not over it yet."
Ruby nodded slowly, seeing how downcast Blake had suddenly become. Blake, although blunt, bland, and kind of boring sometimes, was sometimes a very sensitive little thing. Poor Blake, killing her...well, whatever it was Adam was to her.
Turning to Oscar, she sighed and looked up at him. He looked back at her and the two of them just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. They didn't say anything, nor did they need to, for both of them knew what each was implying.
Whatever happens, I won't leave you behind and I won't let anyone else separate you from me. From now on, we will stay together in anything, weather it be sacrificing ourselves to do so, or challenging the authorities. Let's do this.
The sound of the engine slowing to a complete stop could be heard, and the light feeling of the altitude dropping ceased. The whole back became silent, and then they could hear Jacques unlocking all the doors in the ship. The front door opened, Jacques said something, and then his door slammed shut.
"We're here!" Nora whispered eagerly. Jaune nodded, his face stone-straight. He was quite serious right now.
"Alright, guys," he said, facing the others, "Get ready. Just get out as quietly as you can and head off to the trees surrounding us."
"Should we expect anything?" Yang asked.
"It'll probably be pretty cold," Blake answered, glancing out at the snow out the window.
"Guys, that doesn't matter!" Jaune said, getting a little annoyed, "Just do what you're suppose to do!"
The group nodded, and then, with a nod from the still shaken guards, they hid again, behind the booths. They were pretty squished together, and poor Ruby had a hard time breathing in the mess, but they were decently hidden.
The guards slowly opened the back of the ship and jumped out, trembling slightly and holding their guns. Fortunately, their metal helmets covered up their fear-struck eyes, and nobody would be able to see their fear and discomfort. Taking a few steps forward, they were met by Jacques, who inspected them up and down with a scowl on his face.
"You boys are getting a decrease in your pay this month," he snarled, "I warned you not to bring anymore drinks aboard, but no, you simply must have a drink with you at all times!"
Rolling his eyes and grumbling something under his breath, he turned around and took Weiss by her hand. She had stepped out of the ship and joined by her father's side as he yelled at the poor guards.
Ruby felt a little guilty, having been responsible for the guards; pay level being reduced. But they did disobey Jacques before, according to him, so maybe they deserved it. They had a plan to carry out, anyway.
"Come on, my dear," he said, leading Weiss towards the Manor, "Let's get you safe and warm."
The two of them walked around the back of the building and disappeared behind the side of it, followed by the guards, who were eager to get away from the ship. They tried to stand up straight and stop trembling, which became easier and easier as they walked further from the ship.
Back at the ship, Jaune poked his head cautiously out of the still open door, glancing from side to side, then in front of him, and then behind. Seeing nobody or anything that could possibly hinder their progress or stop them, he turned back to the group.
"Okay, I think we're ready now," he said in his normal voice, no longer whispering, "Let's move out!"
He quickly jumped out of the back, followed by everyone else, and they all landed in a group in front of the back of the ship. Ruby looked franticly around, searching high and low for Qrow. But she didn't see him anywhere. Shivering from the sudden drop in temperature, she wrapped her arms around her body and looked around more.
"What's wrong, Ruby" Jaune asked, quickly stepping over to her. Ruby sighed and shook her head.
"I-I can't find Uncle Qrow!" she complained, worried, "He was suppose to follow the ship all the way here. It wasn't very long at all, so he shouldn't have gotten lost..." She bit her lip and looked around again, getting more and more afraid.
Jaune put his hand on her shoulder, startling her slightly, but not enough to be noticed. "I'm sure he's here."
"Yeah," Ruby said nervously, "Maybe."
"Alright, let's get into the trees!" Jaune said, gesturing towards the trees, "Move!"
They all hurriedly ran to the trees, their weapons out and ready in case anyone were to impose. Oscar caught up to Ruby while they all ran in a scattered group, and the two of them held hands, being in the back of them all. They all made it together into the trees, and hid behind all the leaves and branches.
Ruby was panting already, and a thin layer of sweat had already made her forehead damp. But she was able to quickly catch her breath as they stood there, waiting for the next order. Oscar patted her on the back, constantly stealing glances at the others to make sure no one in particular was watching.
"You okay?" he whispered.
"Yeah," Ruby answered, taking in a deep breath and then exhaling, "I'm fine." She smiled at him and gave him a brief nod.
"Okay, does anybody know exactly where we are?" Jaune asked, his back turned to the group as he looked around at the trees surrounding them, "Because I have no idea whatsoever."
"Nothing at all?" Blake asked, crossing her arms.
"Well..," Yang said, "We're in Atlas?"
"Not helping, Yang," Jaune said, his back still turned as he scanned the area around him.
"And..," Yang said, looking around at all the snow on the ground, "We have snow idea where we are?"
"Yang, stop!" Jaune shot, swinging around, "We don't have time for this! We need to get to Maria as soon as possible and then find out way to the next Relic! The longer Weiss stays at her house, the more and more stuck she'll likely get!"
"Woah, woah, easy there," Yang said, holding her hands out for peace, "All I did was crack a little pun. You don't have to be so thickheaded right now. Relax! It's going to be fine."
Jaune sighed and shook his head, looking down. "I know. I'm just really tense right now for some reason. I guess I just always was after Pyrrha-" He paused and took in a deep breath, exhaling and then waving his hand.
"After Beacon fell," he finished, his eyes closed to hide the pain that everyone already knew was there. Nora looked sadly up at Ren, and he looked sadly down at her. Ruby and Yang looked down. Blake sighed.
Suddenly, a faint rustling could be heard nearby. Ruby jumped with startlement, tensing up immediately, but then her face lit up.
"Uncle Qrow?!" she called eagerly, "Is that you?!"
She was immediately hushed by Jaune, who hissed his "ssshhh!" at her again. Ruby frowned at him.
"We aren't in range of anyone; we don't have to be quiet anymore," she said, turning around and looking through the treetops for any sign of Qrow. But there weren't any birds in sight, other than a small group of bluebirds flying away from Ruby's call. Sighing, Ruby turned back, now more worried than before.
"He still isn't here yet," she said quietly. Yang shrugged.
"It's okay, sis," she said, flicking her hair again, "Uncle Qrow has his own approach of things sometimes."
"Yeah, but not like this," Ruby protested, "Now's not the time for 'mysterious entrances'!"
Yang sighed and shook her head. "My dear little sister, how little faith you have." She grinned and then chuckled as Ruby elbowed her roughly on her metal arm and then winced as she made contact with the hard metal.
"Owwww!" she wined, "Yang, stop it!" Another mood swing. Now she just felt annoyed with Yang, and wanted to fight her. But she saw the solemn look on Jaune's face and all those emotions melted. She nervously grabbed her arm and stood still.
"We are currently a short 2 miles away from Nix, a smaller town just outside of the Kingdom of Atlas," Ren reported, looking down at his scroll.
Jaune noticed and then slapped his forehead, cursing himself for being so forgetful. "Aw, of course! Thanks Ren."
Ren nodded dutifully. "Of course."
"So...we just head to Nix or whatever and see if they've got any trains or something?" Nora asked, staring down at Ren's scroll, reading all the adds on the sides of the map. Jaune shrugged.
"I guess so," he answered, looking around at the group's faces, "Sound like a plan?"
"I say we go for it!" Yang said cheerfully, throwing a fist into the air.
"If Yang thinks so, then I do too," Ruby said with a smile.
"It's obviously our only option, for the record," Blake mumbled.
Ren and Nora both gave Jaune an affirmative nod, and Jaune nodded back.
"Okay, then!" he said, gaining a new determination, "Then...north we go?"
"It's west," Ren corrected. Jaune rolled his eyes.
"West we go?" he said. The group collectively agreed, also possessing that determination, and then Jaune lead the way. Putting his sword and shield away, he lead the group westward through the trees.
"Welcome home, my dear," Jacques said warmly as they walked through the grand front doors of the Schnee Manor.
The whole front entry was as large and towering as ever; the large crystal chandeliers that hung from the celling; the thick velvety white curtains that covered the huge glass windows on either sids; the delicate glass decorations that hung on the white painted walls and sat atop some of the well-crafted wooden tables that lined the hall. the long blue rug that stretched from where they stood to the top of he stairs.
The pictures that hung on the walls were still the same old pictures of scenes of Atlas; the stairs that ascended a few yards away from the was still the same old marble staircase that lead the the many halls, rooms, and corridors of the upstairs.
Everything was the same as when she had left, except for one thing. She hadn't been forced to come here. This wasn't another round of the constant cycle she had been going through where she left and then was dragged back. This was mostly voluntary. She was choosing to come here.
But she felt that same warm pride swell up in her chest as she remembered that she was simply coming for goods and for the sake of her team and the better good of Remnant. She hadn't, nor would she ever, surrender to her father. She was still on her own, on opposite sides as Jacques.
Jacques, still holding her hand, lead her up the stairs, their shoes making little click-clacks on the cool marble steps as they walked. They walked through the all-too familiar halls, not saying a single word, past the many rooms that Weiss knew individually, and to her room, which still had a small scratch on the door, just below the handle.
Weiss had made that scratch about two years ago, when she had had a fight with her mother. She rarely fought with her mother, as both of them often shared similar feelings towards Jacques, and as she rarely even encountered her mother. But they had a disagreement on something, she couldn't remember what it was exactly, and that had left Weiss feeling upset.
So she had lashed out, holding her sword, and had accidentally made a scratch on her door. Nobody had seemed to notice it yet, even the tedious maids and servants that were ordered daily to scour the whole place for any flaw possible, and fix it.
"Here you are," he said, folding his hands formally behind his back, "Go ahead and get yourself undressed. I've already had a Klein prepare a hot bath for you and se out your clothes in your room."
Weiss felt her cheeks glow warm as her father instructed her to undress herself. Although it didn't mean anything weird, it was still an awkward thing for her when someone said it. It was just so strange sounding.
Nodding, Weiss smiled gratefully once again at Jacques and slowly opened the door to her room, seeing again the familiar set up of her bed, her dressers, her bookshelves...
"Thank you, Father," Weiss said, walking into it and breathing in its familiar scent. Icelily perfume. So Klein had continued to keep the room smelling fresh with its sweet icy scent. So thoughtful of him. That was when Weiss realized that she could see him again! Smiling, she walked further into her room.
"Whitley will be thrilled to hear of your return," Jacques said, turning to leave, "Be sure to drop by and visit him. He will likely be in his room, busy with all of his heir business. It's hard for a boy to manage such a...heavy burden."
Weiss froze, the anger of her stripped position boiling up inside her. But she held her breath, waiting for it to die down. Once it had, she turned around with a light smile and nodded at Jacques.
"Of course," she said. Jacques smiled and then left, closing the door behind him.
Weiss sighed, relieved that he had finally left. His presence always made her feel either tense or angry, and now that he was gone, it was as if a heavy burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.
Sighing again, she looked around her room and walked over to her large soft bed. Sitting down on it, she drank in the sweet silence, the only audible noises being the barely hearable echos of Jacques footsteps in the hall as he left. She looked over to the large window that let all the white light into the room and saw her chair still sitting beside it.
Klein had been dusting her room everyday, she could tell, and he had left her chair by the window again, where she would sit and think, watching the ships and birds go by in the air. It was one of the many things Klein knew she did while here, and it made her smile to see it sitting patiently there, waiting for her.
A dress form wearing an outfit stood on the other side of the window, a pair of heels and a new icicle-shaped tiara on the floor in front of it, except, it was black instead of silver. Smiling, Weiss saw another observation Klein must have made.
The outline at the top and sides of her dress, alone with the pattern that held the blue jewel at her neck was black, and the sleeves were pure white. The main dress was more of a sky blue, rather than that light indigo-purple, and it faded into more pure white. The tips of the sash that wrapped around the waist were also sky blue, but a shade lighter. it was the same style as her old one, but the colors were much better, in her opinion.
Walking over to her mirror, she looked at her reflection. At the dirty, injured, and battered girl with the white hair, drunk mother, bratty brother, horrible father, and lone sister. But strangely enough, this time, she wasn't helpless. She was proud and free from Jacques cold clutches. She was going to leave soon without any regrets. She was no longer trapped in this stoney place called home.
Grinning, at her reflection one last time, she unwound the bright red scarf from her neck and slipped off her torn, dirty, and blood-stained clothing, tossing it into a bucket used for this purpose. Then she walked over to the door, grabbed a large white towel from the peg, and wrapped her body tightly with it, then slipped on a soft white bathrobe.
Opening the door again, she hurriedly jogged soundlessly through the carpeted hallway, her bare feet hardly making a single noise, and walked into the bathroom, greeted by a refreshing cloud of herb-scented steam.
The whole bathroom was foggy with the warm, moisturizing steam, and the large, elaborate white porcelain tub, lined with deep blue crystalline stones was filled to the brim with steaming hot water. Bubbles and foam, smelling sweetly of lavender and some other herby flowers floated around the rim of the tub, adding to the scent of the steam and air.
Weiss threw off her towel and robe and eased herself into the hot water, breathing with relief as the heat soaked into her and warm her to her very core. The herbs in whatever substance Klein had used in the water made a pleasant and dreamy scent, filling her head and making her eyes eyes heavy.
Tiredness seeped into her head and she lay back in the tub, her white hair flowing freely in the water. Suddenly, despite how quiet it was, a soft knock on the door roused her. Sitting up suddenly, Weiss rubbed her eyes and glanced at the door.
Oh, gosh, I forgot to lock the door.
"Uh, yes?!" Weiss called.
"Erm, Ms. Schnee," Klein's voice called from the hall, "Are you finished with your bath yet? It has been more than an hour."
Weiss's eyes widened. She had fallen asleep in the tub, and Klein was outside her un-locked door. Boy, she really was forgetting her manners already.
"Oh! Right..," Weiss called back looking around the room, "I-I'll be right out!"
"And I will leave before you emerge, Ms. Schnee!" Klein quickly answered, the sounds of his hurried, but formal, footsteps leaving following.
Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed a clean white towel from the stand beside the tub and wrapped it around herself, using another to wrap around her head to contain her dripping hair. Carefully avoiding the puddles of water she had left from getting out of the tub and from her hair whipping droplets all the way to the door, she snatched the robe from the floor and slipped it on.
Then, with a deep breath, she opened the door and peaked out. No one was in sight. She held the robe around her tighter and hurried back to her room, where she closed the door and then locked it. Then she turned around and faced her new outfit, grinning again at how much she liked it.
Walking over to it, she took it off of the dress form and then put it on, along with the heels. Then she pulled her hair back to the side, brushing it neatly with a brush from her dresser, and then tied it neatly into a tight bun, sticking her black tiara there and letting go of her hair.
She smiled at her new, free, independent self, finally for once approving of the reflection she saw in the mirror. Her new outfit really made her stick out more, and none of the colors, other than the white, matched the colors of her home quite as much as her old outfit. She just needed one more thing.
Crossing over to her dresser, she pulled out a thin bright red ribbon, and then tied it around her waist, matching it up with the sash. Going back to the mirror, she smiled at her reflection again and approved completely. She definitely looked good right now.
Another soft knock on the door, recognizable as Klein, sounded again. Weiss smiled and walked over to the door, opening it and revealing the chubby bald butler in front of her. A sudden new ache pulled at her heart, and before she realized it, she felt tears in her eyes.
"Klein!" she said, the smile on her face threatening to burst if it got any bigger, "It's so good to see you again!" She hugged him tightly, remembering instantly the last time they did that. She had been sneaking out again, ready to leave this place and find her friends.
Without Klein's help, leaving would've been much hard at that time. Klein was one of the only people in this Manor who she cared about and whom he personally cared about as well. Was she imagining it, or was Klein crying? He seldom cried.
They unembraced and looked at each other, either person's eyes wet.
"It's so good to see you again!" Weiss said, smiling again. Klein tipped his head back and let out a jolly good laugh, making Weiss feel very happy. One of the few times she actually felt that emotion while here.
"Oh, likewise, Ms. Schnee," he answered, his eyes pink, "But I'll tell ya; I was in the middle of one of Mr. Schnee's "Task Concerts", and he was rattling them off one by one, and the worst kind, too!" His eyes turned red and his voice became thickly accented as he waved his arms around for emphasis.
"He said, "Make sure that any visible and invisible spot or blemish on anything must be eliminated. Even a single speck of dust-" His eyes changed back to light brown and he clapped his hands together.
"And then his scroll suddenly rang and he answered it, pardoning me from my temporary bondage!"
Weiss giggled, always appreciating Klein's silliness. His semblance was quite useful on his side, as he loved seeing Weiss smile and laugh. He had been the family butler ever since Weiss had been very young. So he was someone with whom she felt comfortable and personally bonded with.
His eyes suddenly became yellow, and he smiled widely under his brown mustache.
"And then he informed me that it had been you calling, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest!" he said excitedly, "I always thought that you would never speak to him again, nevertheless come back home!"
Weiss glanced from side to side, her ponytail flicking as she did. There was not a single soul in sight, other than Klein. Sighing, she bent over so that her mouth was just an inch away from his hear.
"I'm not here to stay," she whispered, barely audible, "I'm planning on escaping again as soon as possible."
Klein raised a brown and twitched his mustache, a knowing but curious look in his light brown eyes.
"Mhmm," he said, also keeping his voice just barely above a whisper, "I should've assumed there was some explanation. Knowing you and all of the trouble we went through last time, I would never have expected you to come back again without a fight."
Weiss sighed and nodded.
"I-I'm here on huntress business," she began, "Me and my Beacon team, along with some friends, are trying to get the Atlas Rel-"
She paused, remembering that Klein probably had no idea about all of the crazy things she had learned about ever since she left a few weeks ago. He was just as innocent and clueless as anyone else.
"An important item," she said, "I would give you all the details, but it's far too long of a story to tell. I'm not even sure you would believe some of it, even if it's coming from me."
Klein laughed softly and shook his head.
"Oh, Ms. Schnee," he said, "I do tend to be biased on many things you say, but certainly not everything! You have given me plenty of outrageous excuses for naughty manners in the past. You were such a sweet little snowflake."
Weiss smiled and tucked a stray lock of her white hair behind her ear.
"Thank you, Klein," she giggled, "But yes, basically, it's very complicated and I honestly don't think I could even accurately explain it to you...It's all kind of...secretive, anyway."
Klein nodded. "So when and how do you plan on leaving?"
"As soon as the others get the item we're searching for, and they'll be waiting within view of my window. I'll just use my glyphs to get down, or something."
"Ah, and why, may I ask, Ms. Schnee, did you not use that option last time?"
"I-uh...I don't know, actually. Maybe it just hand't come to mind or something."
Klein chuckled and his eyes turned yellow as he did. "Yes, that sounds like you, Ms. Schnee," he said. His eyes turned back to light brown as he gathered himself back into his normal formal butler self.
Weiss giggled again, always humored at Klein's constant change of personalities. It suited the short butler quite nicely, and aided him in keeping Weiss's spirits up when they were down, and even when there weren't.
"Well, I best be on my way now," he said, pulling out his silver pocket watch and checking the time before sliding back into his coat pocket, "Master Whitley has been using me as a toy ever since he gained his position as heir to the Dust Company and I am often summoned to him nearly every hour for some sort of assistance."
He cupped Weiss's hands with his and smiled at her again, his eyes yellow again, "I wish you the best in your plan."
Weiss smiled and nodded at him, feeling even more grateful for his presence and position here. "Thank you."
Klein answered with a swift nod before turning and then walking briskly away, his steps formal and well-paced. Weiss watched him go and sighed, wishing she could have told him everything. But that would've been a real pain to vocally recall, and the whole subject was just a different thing in itself.
She was just glad she could see him again, and would continue to see him for the duration of her time here. He was such a wonderful person to have working here. About the only persons he knew of who actually had a heart. And a warm one, at that.
Smiling again and watching as Klein disappeared around the corner of the long hallway, Weiss yawned and then turned back into her room, closing the door behind her. Walking over to her large, elegant bed, she slid under the soft, silky covers and snuggled deep into her feathery pillows.
The comfort and warmth of the blankets, sheets, and pillows seeped into her and made her head heavy again, and before she knew it, she had dozed off into a deep and restful slumber.
Alright, so without much of a delay, this next chapter comes out only a few days after the last one! Sorry if this chapter, or any of the previous ones, seemed focused on Weiss a bit much. It won't last too long, I can assure you, and so hang in there!
Ah, poor Weiss and good ole Klein! Poor Ruby and good ole Ren and Nora! I like pretending that Yang never got depressed after Beacon...
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more chapters!